The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Cjnewton82 on April 08, 2013, 10:21:10 pm
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Hello all I'm thinking of keeping some rare breed sheep.I would buy them in in June and run them on four acers they would be used as lawn mowers but I would also like a good carcass come Oct Nov time.
What breeds would u Recommend pros cons and how much should I expect to pay in the Sussex area?
Thanks very much
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It all depends on how rare you want to go! The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST.org.uk) has a list of breeds on their watch list. I imagine the cons with rarer breeds is that they are harder to get hold of, consequently more costly to buy and you may have to think outside the box (or country) when it comes to finding new bloodlines.
We breed Ryelands; they are no longer on the watch list as there are more than 3,000 breeding females, but they still aren't as common as they could be.
With regards to carcass and weight, I can't really vouch for any rare breeds as I don't have much experience, someone on here will, though!
RBST Watch List: https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist.pdf (https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist.pdf)
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How about your local breed, the Southdown? Excellent carcase and probably the sweetest lamb you can eat. March born lambs will usually be ready for slaughter by late Summer or Autumn, with no additional feed. If you're not breeding, just taking to slaughter weight, buying lambs will allow a breeder to keep going and give a market for lambs not quite up to breeding quality.
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I would also suggest Southdowns, easy to keep and docile, but can be prone to fly strike because they are so very woolly! Kents are local to you (and me) and a nice breed to keep, but im trying Wiltshire horns at the mo, and they seem good.
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We have hebrideans and one Shetland, which are lovely. But they are smaller, which are easier to handle ( you still need to shear and vaccinate lawn mowers) but lambs can take 16 months to reach slaughter weight so depends what age you buy them at.
It might be worth remembering that many of us start with lawn mowers and then get the bug and start breeding, so it may be worth thinking of a breed that would suit you if you want to have lambs in the future.
J xxxxxx